Smyrna times., 1887-09-14
Twenty thousand dollars profit
ton futureSn'

II.
"Twenty thousand dollars profit in cot
ton futuresr
1t was big thing for Cottonville. But
the young Napoleon took it quietly. He
was not surprised, he said to his nquiring
friends. He had felt certain that he would
make Il ten strike.
Il am oil for New York. " said Strong,
the next day after the intelligence of his
good fortune had reached him. ''GOOdby,
old fellow"
But when are you coming back -
asked, holding him by the hand.
"Oh, l don't know. l can't very well
say at present"
There is Narinaw l exclaimed. "Ah,
l see After your return there will be
wedding"
Don't bother me with that subject
now" snapped my friend; my head is
full Of important business matters, and
must 20 to New York. There is no way
ont Of it. 1t is all right with Varina. OF
| course | am coming home as soon rs
/ possibly can, but | have an opportunity
| Of getting on the inside in Wall street,
and / must 60"
Getting on the insideg'
eyes, / said so. But you know nothing
about speculation and care less. mean
just this: l lave some friends there who
will put iAc up to something that will pay
better than any of my past ventures" "
"My dear friend" l urged, ''why not
let well alone? With your present start
you will soon be the richest man in Cot
tOnville.'
In Cottonviller' he sneered. 'There,
never mind that. I like the town and l
am coming back. GOOdby."
l. Al,ag,
few weeks their suspicious were confirmed.
Strong had plunged into the very vortex
of the speculative maelstrOm in Wall
street, and it was not long before we
heard that he had made another lucky hit.
"StrOng is phenomenal genius in his
way" said Banker Jones to me one day.
''IIe reads human nature at glance, and
can adapt himself to any class of men. /
have no doubt that he is as much at home
among the New York capitalists as if he
had been one of them always. And he
will impress them, too, just as he inn
pressed people here.
l ventured to express a doubt.
''YOu are mistaken said Jones.
''Have you never noticed a few rare men
who seem to have nothing in common
with the people around them-men who,
from their birth, are cosmopolitan by ma
/
Strong is such man. A stranger could
not tell from his appearance and con-
> versation what part of the country he is
identified with In New York. San Fran
/ cisco or New Orleans he would be al
, home Il is only here, where he was born
that lie appears to be altogether different
from his follows"
Banker Jones was something of
philosopher and had to yield to him.
o saw Varina every day. Sometimes
was at the postofIice when she called fO
II her mail, and was always well pleaset
to see her bend her pretty head and hurr.
e Off with white envelope bearing the New
York postmark, and addressed in tn
e handwriting so well known to me.
1t was nearly n year before Strong re
Is turned. and then it was only on fiyiL,
visit A special car bearing some Of tn
'e biggest railway magnates in the COUNT
! passed through. Strong was with the part
II but he left it, and spent half day at !
old home. He was with Varina most
5, the time and saw him only moment
''No changes, / see" said he in a GU
8, businesslike way, 'not house painte
and not u hammer has been heard since
IS, left. Everything is just the same"
"Varina, too9" l suggested.
d. eyes, Varina, too, )" he replied. 'Po
little thing. Do you know that she lac
force Of charaot0rg
II think nothing Of the kind" I Q
swered shortly, "she certainly has a gr'
deal Of patience under trying circu
stances, and there is some force Of CHI
- acter in that"
Strongs eyes fell, and he gave me
\ parting clasp Of the hand. He had to
L. join the railway kings at their next ST
- ping place. Il was hard to tear hims
away, but it could not be helped
Ills visit could not have been very S
IN isfactory to Varina, for from that time
IN saw change in her. Her face began
~ have a weary, sad look, and she plod'
on with her school work, withdraw
herself almost entirely from society.
,k.s still received letters from New York,
iges they were less frequent than formerly.
ook' When Strong paid his next visit to
- tonyille, the following year, he wa
pc millionaire. This time be remained sew
YES days, and was at his best. Everybody
marked that prosperity had not spo
him. He was devoted to Varina, but
poor girl seemed to be in dazed ST
She saw something in her lover that